


After All

by unknowableroom_archivist



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: One Shot, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-01-21
Updated: 2009-01-21
Packaged: 2019-01-23 13:36:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12508608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unknowableroom_archivist/pseuds/unknowableroom_archivist
Summary: [Fic Exchange '08] Against the background of struggling against Snape and taking over the DA, Neville finds himself unable to act on his growing feelings for Luna.





	After All

**Author's Note:**

> Note from ChristyCorr, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [Unknowable Room](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Unknowable_Room), a Harry Potter archive active from 2005-2016. To preserve the archive, I began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project after May 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Unknowable Room collection profile](http://www.archiveofourown.org/collections/unknowableroom).

Merry Christmas, Irvin (hpboy13)!

.

A quiet breath. Soft footsteps. A muffled cough. Someone is tiptoeing in the dark. Neville feels his heart race and quietly begins edging toward the statue of Boris the Bewildered. Keeping his eyes wide open, trying to pierce the darkness, he hopes to hide behind the statue before he's found—until a ray of moon light falls upon blonde hair, and his eyes make out the familiar shape of radish earrings.

"Luna?" he breathes.

"Neville!" she gasps. Pausing slightly to catch her breath, she explains, "I just ran out on Snape in detention."

"Luna! That'll only make him come after you—" Neville starts.

"Even more," the blonde girl cuts in. "I know. But tonight is Blue Babille Harvest Night, my favourite time of the year. Ever heard of it?"

"No, I—we should get going!" Neville says urgently. "Surely you don't want to get caught?"

"All right," she says, almost reluctantly. "But do remind me to tell you about Blue Babille later." And her smile seems to illuminate the darkness.

 

*

 

Her hand grazes his as they meet outside Greenhouse Four as he walks out of Herbology. It's soft and small, unlike his own rough and ungraceful hands.

"Where are your radishes?" he asks, and immediately feels stupid.

"Oh," she says dreamily. "I forgot to put them on, and those were in my book bag." She gestures to the delicate silver hoops hanging from her ears.

"Oh. Happens to me too."

She gives a tinkling laugh. "What? Forgetting your earrings?"

"No, er. Just, stuff in general. Like—socks. That sort of thing." He's stammering. _Great_ , he thinks. _Because she really needed more proof that I'm the most hopeless conversationalist on Earth_.

She still smiles, though, and the day looks less dull.

 

*

 

Neville is not a very good strategist, but he has got to plan this out:

1.    _Talk to Luna more._

2.    _Don't make a fool of myself._

3.    _Ask her out._

A daunting plan. And really kind of silly, and stupid. And anyway, he has a detention to attend right now, and he can't daydream romantic scenarios that will probably never come true.

 

*

 

The DA session that night is pretty exciting; Ginny's showing them her best hexes, and then each of them takes turns teaching the others his or her own favourite hex. At the end of the session, he sees Ginny and Luna talking in a corner and heads towards them.

"Hey Luna. I, um, looked up that Blue Bibi thing in several encyclopedias, and couldn't find a thing. Are you sure this isn't just—" Neville hesitates, seeing Ginny giving him a knowing look.

"We really should go back to the Common Room," she interjects.

"But—" he protests, going red. But there is no arguing with Ginny. _Guess that's it for part 2 of the plan_.

 

*

 

"How did you get those?" Luna asks, eyeing the Sugar Quills he just handed to her.

"I have my ways." He meant for this to sound mysterious, but coming from his mouth, it's just silly.

"Do you know what they're _actually_ made of?" she asks, then launches into a long story about some Polynesian horse breed, and he can't even find that boring.

"And what about the Blue B—"

"Longbottom!" Professor Flitwick is standing at the classroom door. "Class has started!"

 

*

 

"Ooh! I love them!" she says, of the cauliflowers he gives her.

"I like your hair," is her simple, matter-of-fact comment when he back-combs his hair.

He is just scribbling ' _Likes back-combed hair_ ' on his notepad when Ginny's voice cuts into his thoughts.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake!" She shakes her head. "Just ask her out already!"

"B-but...I...Out _where_?"

Ginny rolls her eyes. "Not actually _anywhere_... It's just an expression, Neville. Just—just tell her, okay?"

"I will. Someday." He feels his face burning with embarassment.

"Look. Get up." She tips his chair over, for good measure. "Lake. Now."

Neville stares in disbelief. Ginny pulls her wand out.

"I said _now_."

 

*

 

Neville is not a very fast runner, but he gets to the lake in record time. And, predictably, Luna is there, seemingly talking to the grass.

"Luna?" he chokes out, and she turns to face him with her dreamy smile. "I—Er—" He clears his throat. "...What _is_ the Blue Babble Harvest Night?"

"I made it up," she says, still smiling, still matter-of-factly. "Because sometimes you don't need a rational reason to run out on Snape." She pauses, with a pensive look. "And because—because sometimes, when I'm around you, I can't help but say inanities."

And Neville reaches out, touches her cheek, steps closer and kisses her softly on the lips.

Neville is not a very bold bloke, but this time, he thinks, it worked out all right. 


End file.
